SOLVED: AHHHHHHH Leaks

[rocrider50]

We bought our 2017 Cyclone 3800 at the end of the season last year so yesterday I started getting it ready for our first real camping trip outside of the back yard. Hooked it up to the hose to fill up the tank and chase all of the antifreeze out of the system. All the pressure systems are tight and no leaks. Yea. So I ran a lot of water through the drain's. It will be important to note that I had the dump valves open from the winter and we were draining directly to the the water tight seal at the drain. Eventually I started to see water dripping at the front of the trailer from the front of the belly cover. Ouch, I have a leak.

SO, I drained the gray/black tank system, noticing that the dump valves were open and got me wet. For the next step/test I had the dump valves closed and filling the gray and black tanks again. No drips. Hum?

So I opened the dump vales again but didn't open the drain, trapping water in the down stream system and the drip started again. So I think that I have a bad drain seal past the dump valve under the front shower. I'm guessing that this has been there since it was new but we have never used the bathroom and it was filled with antifreeze all winter with the valves open. Dealer can't see me until May (6 to 8 weeks), so I'm on my own if we are camping this weekend. I'm letting the system dry out a little and trying again tonight. But i think my Friday night will be taking the belly pan off in that area. Thoughts? Oh yea, there are hydraulic lines and gas lines that have to be dropped first, yeah.

One more thing, the fresh water tank indicator always shows full, even when empty. So I need to fix this too. I'll run through docs to see if there is any help.

 

[danemayer]

Re: AHHHHHHH Leaks

we were draining directly to the the water tight seal at the drain.

I'm having a little trouble understanding. Do you mean you were running water into the black and gray tanks, with the dump valves open, but you had the cap on the sewer outlet?

 

[rocrider50]

Re: AHHHHHHH Leaks

I'm having a little trouble understanding. Do you mean you were running water into the black and gray tanks, with the dump valves open, but you had the cap on the sewer outlet?

Yes, gray and black tanks filling with dump valves open, cap on the sewer drain outlet.

 

[danemayer]

Re: AHHHHHHH Leaks

I'm not sure what you were going for, but once the tanks are full, they start bulging and water can be forced out of the couplings and even up through the vent stacks and out onto the roof.

 

[mlpeloquin]

Re: AHHHHHHH Leaks

Have you checked the hardware that holds the dump valves together? I had one of my valves hardware slightly loose and it dripped into the under belly. So the leak was at the dump valve seal.

 

[rocrider50]

Re: AHHHHHHH Leaks

I'm not sure what you were going for, but once the tanks are full, they start bulging and water can be forced out of the couplings and even up through the vent stacks and out onto the roof.

What,how did you get that from my note? The gray and black tanks were no where near full??? You should reread the note. Just a little water between the valve and drain cap.

- - - Updated - - -

Have you checked the hardware that holds the dump valves together? I had one of my valves hardware slightly loose and it dripped into the under belly. So the leak was at the dump valve seal.

I suspect you are correct, just haven't removed the belly pan. Not looking forward to it.

 

[LBR]

Re: AHHHHHHH Leaks

What,how did you get that from my note? The gray and black tanks were no where near full??? You should reread the note. Just a little water between the valve and drain cap.

Excuse me....

You ran "a LOT of water down the drains" to a capped system with valves open, and "a leak EVENTUALLY appeared"...I also thought you filled the tanks up. Then when someone honestly tries to help you, you snip at them for misreading?

 

[Lynn1130]

Re: AHHHHHHH Leaks

And your post was more than a little confusing so help Dan clarify what you are trying to get across and you will get good help.

 

[rocrider50]

Re: AHHHHHHH Leaks

Excuse me....

You ran "a LOT of water down the drains" to a capped system with valves open, and "a leak EVENTUALLY appeared"...I also thought you filled the tanks up. Then when someone honestly tries to help you, you snip at them for misreading?

Sorry, I wasn't trying to be snippy. Trying to leave tomorrow to go camping and it's brand new and leaking. Apologies. Sorry the note was confusing. Probably should have put the fresh water tank lights in a separate note. Taking the rest of the day off to remove the belly pan.

- - - Updated - - -

I'm having a little trouble understanding. Do you mean you were running water into the black and gray tanks, with the dump valves open, but you had the cap on the sewer outlet?

Sorry Dan you have always been helpful. Let my frustration boil over.

 

[danemayer]

Re: AHHHHHHH Leaks

I'm still having a bit of trouble understanding where the problem is, but maybe it's in either the 1-1/2" pipe coming out of one of the grays, or the 3" pipe before it gets to the sewer outlet. When those short sections are full of water, you have a leak.

I recall someone having a problem like this over this past winter because he got caught in a freeze with water in those sections of pipe. It cracked the 3" pipe.

Any possibility there was water in that section over the winter?

 

[CDN]

Re: AHHHHHHH Leaks

To add to Dans comments

If the seals on the dump valves dried out the might be the source of your leak out of the dump line. I would remove all water and pour some vegetable oil down each drain to lubricate the valves. I have done thing in the past and it has helped a lot.

 

[Shortest Straw]

Re: AHHHHHHH Leaks

Just so I understand, as I have read the original post 4 times and am a bit confused. You were de-winterizing, system pressured up without issue, you started draining out the pink stuff, everything was fine until somewhere in the system you took away the systems ability to drain itself. Once you did that it started leaking. Is that correct? If you just hook the sewer up and drain the tanks without any back pressure to the system does it leak? If I understand things correctly? it sounds like you may have a small leak where the drain pipes meet the tank or wherever any of the drains tie into each other after the tanks.

 

[wdk450]

Re: AHHHHHHH Leaks

Yeah, you are going to have to pull off the underlayment stuff. Have gorilla tape handy if you need to do any patches. Maybe having some of the spray and seal stuff (like seen on TV) might give you a quick, temporary fix if you find something leaking in the piping.

I hope your trip goes well.

 

[LBR]

Re: AHHHHHHH Leaks

It would be rather easy to check the 3" drain pipe by pressuring it up. Take your drain cap off and put on a holding tank rinser with gate valve on the outlet. Close the rinser gate valve and all the rv gate valves from tanks, then CAREFULLY pressure up the rinser with your garden hose until the entire 3" system fills, then shut rinser ball valve off IMMEDIATELY. Wait for leaks to appear, maybe add little more water pressure very carefully....if your 3" up to all rv gate valves is leaking, it will show up by this method.

EDIT......forgot to suggest to slightly open all RV gate valves a minute after filling system to allow air to bleed into the tanks, then filling it up again.... effectively allowing only water in the entire 3" system.

 

[rocrider50]

Re: AHHHHHHH Leaks

Thanks for the help, I'm three days into the repair and missed camping trip. The pressurization tip was great, the leak whistled and showed me the right spot without getting wet.. Found the leak, poorly glued joint and repaired. Going to seal it up Saturday when the weather is better. Lots of fun had by all. Re-booked for Easter weekend. Glad I got under anyway. Steel parts were already rusty. Putting seal coat of undercoat on axles and frame. All before I have camped once, it's what we do in Michigan to survive the winter.

Wife got me a new sign for the camper for all my hard work. I NEED A 6 MONTH VACATION TWICE A YEAR.

 

[LBR]

Re: AHHHHHHH Leaks

Thanks for the help, I'm three days into the repair and missed camping trip. The pressurization tip was great, the leak whistled and showed me the right spot without getting wet.. Found the leak, poorly glued joint and repaired. Going to seal it up Saturday when the weather is better. Lots of fun had by all. Re-booked for Easter weekend. Glad I got under anyway. Steel parts were already rusty. Putting seal coat of undercoat on axles and frame. All before I have camped once, it's what we do in Michigan to survive the winter.

Wife got me a new sign for the camper for all my hard work. I NEED A 6 MONTH VACATION TWICE A YEAR.

Glad that trick worked for ya...RESOLVED...case dismissed!

 

[JMP]

Re: AHHHHHHH Leaks

Good to hear the issue was resolved. Just to clarify for my understanding - the leak was identified at the 3" pipe connected into the gray tank?

Thanks for the help, I'm three days into the repair and missed camping trip. The pressurization tip was great, the leak whistled and showed me the right spot without getting wet.. Found the leak, poorly glued joint and repaired. Going to seal it up Saturday when the weather is better. Lots of fun had by all. Re-booked for Easter weekend. Glad I got under anyway. Steel parts were already rusty. Putting seal coat of undercoat on axles and frame. All before I have camped once, it's what we do in Michigan to survive the winter.

Wife got me a new sign for the camper for all my hard work. I NEED A 6 MONTH VACATION TWICE A YEAR.

 

[rocrider50]

Re: AHHHHHHH Leaks

Good to hear the issue was resolved. Just to clarify for my understanding - the leak was identified at the 3" pipe connected into the gray tank?

Yes it was leaking at the joint where the Gray 3"? entered the BLACK. Not much, just enough